It looked like the Florida Panthers could build a dynasty after back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, but this year’s NHL postseason will deliver a new champion.
The Panthers didn’t make the playoffs, and the Buffalo Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought. That’s just part of how much this season’s playoff field differs from a year ago.
Amid the six-team turnover, the Anaheim Ducks reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and the Utah Mammoth made the playoffs for the first time ever since the transition from Phoenix. The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins ended short-lived playoff droughts, and the Boston Bruins return after missing the postseason last year. Besides the Panthers missing the playoffs, other teams that didn’t make it this year include the Washington Capitals and last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winner, the Winnipeg Jets.
Here’s a look at the 16-team field and who could contend for the Cup. First face-offs for the playoffs commence on Saturday.​
Eastern Conference​
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres
​A perennial East power and Cinderella meet between the Bruins (45–27–10) and Sabres (50–23–9). Tage Thompson leads the Sabres offense with 81 points, and Buffalo has a bunch of talented scorers in Alex Tuch, Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Owen Power, and Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo’s goaltending is stellar with Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but the defense is young.
Buffalo’s skaters will have to get past Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Boston’s David Pastrnak, who had 71 points in the regular season, will look to lead the Bruins skaters past Lyon or Lukkonen. The Bruins have scoring depth in Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, Morgan Geekie, and James Hagens.
The series winner will face either the Lightning or the Canadians in the second round.​
​Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators
​The Hurricanes (53–22–7) have a bevy of offensive talent in Andrei Svechnikov, Nikolaj Ehlers, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis. That will challenge the Senators (44–27–11), who finished 13th in goals allowed this season.
In addition, Hurricanes goaltenders Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen have been strong all season, but the Senators are a top-10 scoring team. The Senators boast a wealth of offensive talent, featuring players such as Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Cozens, Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto. Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark has had ups and downs, but the Senators have a solid defender in Thomas Chabot.
Whoever wins the series will face either the Penguins or the Flyers in the second round.​
Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
​The Canadiens (48–24–10) boast a strong offense in looking to end the nation’s three-decade Stanley Cup drought, but the Canadiens will have to get past a seasoned Lightning (50–26–6) team first.
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 101 points, and Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson are all serious scorers. Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes is stellar, but he and his teammates will miss defenseman Noah Dobson due to injury at least in the early going of the playoffs.
Dobes will have his work cut out against a strong Lightning attack, led by Nikita Kucherov, who had 138 points in the regular season. Conversely, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will look to thwart the Canadiens skaters.
The series winner is closer to goals bigger than themselves. Montreal is trying to end a three-decade Stanley Cup drought for Canada, and the Lightning are looking to keep the Cup in Florida for a third consecutive year, amid the Panthers’ absence.​
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
​Sidney Crosby is still playing hockey at a high level in his 21st season, as the Penguins (41–25–16) take on their in-state rivals in the Flyers (43–27–12).
Pittsburgh boasts a wealth of talent surrounding Crosby, including Anthony Mantha, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin. Additions such as Egor Chinakhov and Elmer Soderblom have helped the Penguins, too.
Flyers goalie Dan Vladar, who has been stellar this season, will look to stop them all. Flyers leading scorers Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras will look to keep their team on pace with Pittsburgh, which scored the third-most goals in the league this season. Fortunately for the Flyers, neither Penguins’ goalies, Arturs Silovs nor Stuart Skinner, has been dominant so far this season.​​
Western Conference​
Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings
​The Avalanche (55–16–11) look like a Presidents’ Trophy winner that won’t be going home early, though the Kings (35–27–20) have other ideas.
Colorado is loaded with talent all over the ice, starting with Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche also has quality goalies in Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, which bodes well for a playoff run.
It will be a challenge for the Kings, led by leading scorer Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles’ supporting cast of skaters, such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere, will need to step up. Kings goalies, Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg, have enjoyed success this season but face a monster challenge in the Avalanche. The series winner faces the Stars or Wild.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
​The Stars (50–20–12) return to old stomping grounds against the Wild (46–24–12), as the Stars were once in Minnesota.
Stars leading scorer Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston will look to get their team off to a strong start against a Wild team that features strong goaltending with Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. Minnesota also has serious scoring threats with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, who lead an improved offense. Stars goalies Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith will look to shut down the Wild attack and advance.​​​
Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks
​The Oilers (41–30–11) seek a return to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Ducks (43–33–6) are looking to prevent that Hollywood finish.
Oilers leading scorers Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard look to pile on the goals in this series. The Ducks are 29th in goals allowed, so goalies Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso will have a challenge ahead.
Conversely, the Ducks have a deep attack with Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, Jackson LaCombe, and Troy Terry, all with 57 or more points this season. However, the Oilers have one of the deepest goaltending crews in hockey, led by Connor Ingram.
The series winner takes on the Golden Knights or the Mammoth in the following round.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth
​The Knights (36–26–17) are back with big expectations, and the Mammoth (43–32–6) has arrived with an excited, young fan base.
Knights leading scorers Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner will look to boost an offense that finished 14th in scoring during the regular season. The Mammoth have solid goaltending with Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek, who helped their team finish 10th in goals allowed.
Utah’s leading scorer trio of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Dylan Guenther guides a top-10 attack, which will look to give Vegas trouble. That said, Knights goalies Akira Schmid and Adin Hill allow an average of 2.71 goals or less per game.
